Orlando Pirates will look to make it back-to-back victories in the Betway Premiership when they face AmaZulu at Kings Park Stadium on Wednesday.
The defending champions opened their league campaign with a victory over newly promoted Milford FC, but head coach Abdeslam Ouaddou will know another demanding test awaits against an AmaZulu side playing in front of their home supporters.
Pirates have already had a busy start to the season, needing extra time to overcome Durban City in the MTN8 quarter-finals before beginning their title defence with victory.
They now face an AmaZulu team looking to respond after their dramatic MTN8 exit at the hands of Sekhukhune United.
Usuthu suffered a defeat in a seven-goal thriller on Sunday, bringing their hopes of progressing in the competition to an end.
That result exposed defensive vulnerabilities, but AmaZulu also demonstrated enough attacking quality to suggest they can cause problems for the champions.
Pirates, meanwhile, will be encouraged by the contribution of their attacking players following the departure of Relebohile Mofokeng.
Oswin Appollis opened the scoring against Milford, taking responsibility in a team that lost one of its most influential creative players from last season.
The Bafana Bafana international will again be expected to provide the spark in the final third, while Tshepang Moremi also got on the scoresheet in the opening-day victory.
Ouaddou will be keen to see his side become more clinical after explaining during pre-season that improving their conversion rate was one of the reasons behind the club’s decision to strengthen its attacking options.
The bigger challenge at Kings Park could come from maintaining control away from home.
AmaZulu will be determined to use their home advantage and could look to press Pirates early, particularly after the champions showed signs of fatigue during their demanding opening schedule.
For Ouaddou, the objective is straightforward: another three points to underline Pirates’ credentials as they attempt to defend their league crown.
For AmaZulu, the match offers an immediate opportunity to put their MTN8 disappointment behind them and remind the league that they can compete with the country’s biggest clubs.
With both sides needing a response of sorts, Wednesday’s encounter could provide an early indication of how well each team can handle the demands of a congested opening to the season.
